Bobbin release for weft replenishing looms



April 3, 1934.

A. A. GORDON BOBBIN RELEASE FOR wEFT REPLENISHING LooMs Filed Deo. 26,1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 3 l934- A. A. GORDON 1,953,648

BOBBIN RELEASE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Deo. 2S, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 2 31ml ewntor'l @wert (l. wbrdol Patented Apr. 3, 1934@UNITED .FECE

BOBBIN RELEASE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING- LOOMS Application December 26,1931, Serial No. 583,294

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bobbin releasing devices formulticolor weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of theinvention to provide simplified mechanism for accomplishing this resultoperative during the backward stroke of the lay.

In multicolor weft replenishing looms the bobbin corresponding to theexhausted shuttle is drawn from any one of several reserve stacks andrests on yielding supports as it awaits transfer. If the shuttle shouldbe improperly positioned on the transferring beat the shuttle feeleroperates to revoke transfer, but thisaction leaves the bobbin on thesupports. It is necessary lto rid the magazine of this bobbin'to.prevent confusion of colors should the next shuttle to become active beexhausted. Many of the devices proposed heretofore for accomplishingthis result have operated so as to release thebobbin when the lay is inits forward position. This is particularly true where the release iseffected by the shuttle feeler, inasmuch as the latter is reset duringthe forward stroke of the lay and is therefore effective to drop thebobbin in front of the advancing shuttle.

Multicolor magazines employ in their co-nstruction a reciprocatingactuator which coacts both with the weft detector and color selectingmechanism of the magazine. This actuator has a down motion on detectingbeats of the loom and an up motion on non-detecting beats operative toadvance a bobbin toward transfer position. The actuator dwellsintermediate its extreme positions toy permit lateral shifting of acolor slide. It is an important object of my present invention toprovide a bobbin support normally in supporting position but movable bythe actuator during the latter part of the down movement thereof tobobbin releasing position. The support is in its normal position whenthe actuator is dwelling and also during upward movement thereof, and istherefore positioned to receive and support bobbins which areadvancedfrom the stacks toward transfer position.

The bobbin support which moves to release an untransferred bobbin isordinarily behind the bobbin butt, whereas the actuator is at the frontof the magazine, and it is a further object of my invention to provideconnections between the aotuator and the support which extend generallyaround the outline of the magazine plate so as not to obstruct access tothe vertical slides etc., which form parts of the magazine mechanism.These connections make it possible to use a lever pivoted to the top ofthe magazine at a point substantially over the support.

With these and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of myinvention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a magazine taken from the interior of theloom and having my invention applied thereto, certain parts being in Vsection,

Fig. 2 is a detailed rear elevation taken in the direction of arrow 2,Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detailed front elevation of the actuator, together with itslever and the connections 'Z0` associated therewith for operating thebobbin support, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a loom showing the operating connectionsfor the actuator.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a loom I5` frame l0 supporting amagazine M provided with Vertical slides 11 each provided with a dog 12at the upper end thereof. Cradles 13 pivoted near the bottoms of andconnected to the slides act to advance bobbins toward transfer position.In 8O the present instance there are four groups of bobbins, one foreach of the vertical slides, and the latter are provided with upper andlower lugs 14 and 15, respectively, between which extend the fingers notshown of the usual color slide indi- Y cated in dot and dash lines at16.

A top rock shaft 1'7 journaled in a part of the magazine frame hassecured thereto a forward lever 18 connected to a depending rod 19 thebottom of which is operatively related to a transfer latch 20. Thelatter is supported on a transfer lever 2l which is moved about itspivot 22 by a force transmitted from the lay carried bunter 23 throughthe latch 20 at transfer.

The rear of the rock shaft 17 is provided with 95 a second lever 24connected to the upper end of a rod 25 the lower end of which is pivotedas at 26 to a shuttle feeler holder 27. The shuttle feeler 28 is securedto the holder and normally clears the back 29 of the shuttle box on thelay 100 30. The shuttle S is received by the box and provisions notshown are made for detecting the amount of weft in the shuttle.

A vertically reciprocating actuator rod 35 has pivoted to the upper endthereof an actuator lever 36 the inner or left end of which as viewed inFig. 3 is pivoted to an upright rod 37. The latter is attached byconnections not shown to the color slide and serves to rock the latterfor the purpose of communicating vertical movements to sol the slides11. The right end of the lever 36 as shown in Fig. 3 is adapted forcooperation with a trip 33 normally in the position shown in Fig. 3 butmovable in a left hand direction under the lever by a weft detector D atindication of weft exhaustion. A lever 39 movable about a pivot locatedin the lower part of the loom frame is actuated by a cam 46 and has theforward end thereof attached to the bottom of the rod 35.

The mechanism thus far described of itself forms no part of my presentinvention and operates in the usual manner. The cam 46 gives theactuator its previously described movements, the downward movement fromthe full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 occurring when theshuttle is under the magazine, or on detecting beats of the loom, andthe reverse or upward movement occurring when the shuttle is on theopposite or drop box end of the loom. Certain of the mechanism notessential to an understanding of the operation of my invention isomitted from the drawings for the sake of clearness and it is deemedsuiicient to state herein that the actuator operates in the usual timewith respect to the other functions of the loom, as set forth in PatentNo. 1,030,748. My present invention is concerned with that part of thedownward movement of the actuator which occurs immediately afterdetection, or that part of the motion which continues down after the layhas reached front center and has started rearwardly.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide the actuator with thestud 66 which I extend as i, shown in Fig. 1, said stud forming thepivot for the lever 36. The extension passes through a slot 61 formed inthe bottom of an upwardly extending rod or wire 62, this slot beingdefined preferably by bending the wire back on itself as suggested inFig. 3. The rods project upwardly through a slot 63 in the forward arm64 of a lever 65 pivoted as at 66 to the upper part of the magazine. Astop collar 67 is secured to a set screw 68 to the rod or wire inadjusted vertical position so that the stud and the slot 61 can bevaried with respect to each other.

The lever extends rearwardly from its pivot as shown in Fig. 1 and hasattached thereto the upper end of a tension spring 69 the lower end of fwhich is connected as at 70 to any convenient part of the magazine. 'Ihelever 65 extends downwardly and has a boss 71 through which is threadeda stop screw 72 positioned for engagement with a lug 73 of the magazinefor one of the tie rods 74. A support 75 for the bobbin is held to thelever in adjusted vertical position by screws 76 which are tapped intothe lever and extend through vertical slots 77 in the support. Thelatter extends downwardly and forwardly, having a foot 78 positioned andproportioned to engage the rear of a d bobbin butt 7S. A stationaryforward support 80 for the butt may be provided in its usual form, beingrelatively immovable under ordinary conditions and serving to guide abobbin into the shuttle S.

The slot 61 is so disposed with respect to the Stud 60 and the collar 67as to permit upward movement of the actuator rod 35 from the dwell tohigh position without rocking the lever 65.

The collar 67 is positioned, however, so that as the actuator nears thebottom of its down stroke immediately after a detecting beat of the lay,the lever will be rocked in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. .1.This downward movement of the actuator occurs on those beats of the loomwhere revocation may leave a bobbin on the support, so that the effectof the motions described is to release the bobbin and permit the same tofall by gravity out of the magazine. It is to be understood that theactuator does not start its downward movement until after the lay hasreached front center, as the shuttle must be in its extreme forwardposition in order to give the weft detector a full throw, and by thetime the actuator reaches low position the lay is moving rearwardly.

By changing the position of the collar 67 the amount of the downwardmotion of the actuator effective to rock the lever 65 may be varied. Thespring 69 acts during the upward movement of the actuator to restore thelever to normal position, and acts ordinarily to hold the bobbin supportin yieldingly holding position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form ofbobbin releasing mechanism operated by a device ordinarily found inmulticolor weft replenishing looms. It will also be seen that theconnections extend from a position in front of the bobbin up, over, andbehind the operating parts of the magazine as should be accessible, andthese connections include a lever which is pivoted at a pointapproximately above a bobbin in transfer position. Also, the lost motionconnection provided by the rod 62 uses only a portion of the motion ofthe actuator and permits a variation in the amount of motion used.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wishto be limited to the details herein l disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a multicolor weft replenishing loom having a lay and provision foradvancing a selected bobbin to transfer position, a yielding support tohold the bobbin in transfer position., a regularly moving actuatorhaving a motion away from normal position on detecting beats of the loomduring rearward movement of the lay, and connections between the supportand the actuator, said connections including a lost motion devicerendering the actuator effective to move the support during the latterpart only of the movement of said actuator away from normal position,

2. In a multicolor weft replenishing loom having provision for advancinga selected bobbin in transfer position, a yielding support to hold thebobbin in transfer position, an actuator movable in one direction toeffect movement of the bobbin toward the support and movable in theopposite direction to effect indication of weft exhaustion, means toconnect the actuator and the support. and a lost motion connectionforming part of said means and effective to render the latter part ofthe last named movement only of the actuator effective to move thesupport away from bobbin supporting position.

3. In a multicolor weft replenishing loom having provision for advancinga selected bobbin in transfer position, a yielding support to hold thebobbin in transfer position, an actuator movable in one direction toeffect movement of the bobbin toward the support and movable in theopposite direction to effect indication of weft exhaustion, means toconnect the actuator and the support, and a lost motion connectionforming part of said means and effective to render the latter part ofthe last named movement only of the actuator effective to move thesupport away from bobbin supporting position, said lost motionconnection including a rod operatively related to the actuator andhaving a pin and slot connection therewith.

4. In a multicolor weft replenishing loom having provision for advancinga selected bobbin in transfer position, a yielding support to hold thebobbin in transfer position, a regularly moving actuator, a lever, apivotal connection between the lever and the actuator, said levereffective to transmit a force from the actuator to advance a bobbintoward a support, a rod having a lost motion connection with the pivotconnection, and means to connect the rod with the support, the actuatorbeing effective to transmit a force through the pivot to the rod andcause movement of the support away from bobbin supporting position.

5. In a multicolor weft replenishing loom having provision for advancinga selected bobbin in transfer position, a yielding support to hold thebobbin in transfer position, an actuator having a movement away from itsnormal position on detecting beats of the loom, a rod extending upwardlyfrom the actuator, means defining a pin and slot connection between theactuator and rod, a lever pivoted at a point substantially above abobbin positioned by the support, the support being mounted on thelever, and means to transmit a force from the rod to the lever, theactuator moving the rod during the latter part of the movement of saidactuator away from said normal position.

6. In a loom having a magazine to store bobbins as they await transfer,means to indicate weft exhaustion and initiate transfer, a bobbinsupport to retain a bobbin in transferring position, and an actuatoroperatively related to the means when the latter indicates weftexhaustion to cause said means to initiate transfer and also operativelyrelated to the support to move the latter away from a bobbin whichremains on the support if the initiated transfer is revoked.

'7. In a loom having a magazine to store bobbins as they await transfer,weft detector means to indicate weft exhaustion and initiate transfer, abobbin support to retain a bobbin in transferring position, an actuatoroperatively related to the detector means and at exhaustion of weftcapable of releasing a bobbin from the magazine, the bobbin to be heldby the support to await transfer, and means common to the support,detector and actuator whereby a retained bobbin will be released fromthe support at revocation.

ALBERT A. GORDON.

